Electromagnetic Propulsion Devices Utilizing Wall Conductors

ABSTRACT

Electromagnetic propulsion devices having a barrel with a cavity its length, armatures for said cavity with a propulsion bus in and circumscribing said armature&#39;s body, orthogonal the axis thereof with power rail continuity on one end and propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means continuity the other and an array of wall conductors orthogonal and circumscribing most of said barrel&#39;s cavity and distributed between said cavity&#39;s ends with contact means at the cavity at one end and a bus common to all wall conductors at the other and an armature forward shunt directs current between a power rail and forward wall conductors and an armature aft current shunt directs current between said circuit means and aft wall conductors and wherein the magnetic fields of current in the barrel wall conductors immediately before and immediately aft the armature&#39;s propulsion bus interact with the current therein creating forces propelling the armature through said cavity.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of patent application: Ser.No. 10/707,607 filed Dec 24, 2003 and claims the benefit of the filingdates of provisional patent application: 60/319,820 filed Dec. 30, 2002,provisional patent application: 60/320,208 filed May 21, 2003, andprovisional patent application: 60/481,159. This application is alsorelated to sister divisional application: Ser. No. 11/164,727 filed Dec.2, 2005, sister divisional application: Ser. No. 11/306,245 filed Dec.20, 2005 and sister divisional application Ser. No. 11/308,565 filedApr. 7, 2006.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The following invention is related electromagnetic propulsion devicessuch as rail devices. In rail devices a magnetic field perpendicular toan electrical current path through an armature, interacts with the pathcurrent, creating force on the armature which is perpendicular to boththe current path and the magnetic field. The armature of a rail deviceis located between and has electrical continuity with the device'sparallel power rails. In the rail device, armature current flow isresultant a voltage potential between the power rails.

2. Description of Related Art

The source of the armature accelerating magnetic fields in a rail deviceis often only its very large rail currents. Among the oldest patentedrail device inventions are those of Fauhon-Villeplee which include U.S.Pat. No. 1,370,200. The Fauhon-Villeplee devices have, in addition tothe magnetic fields of the rail currents, magnetic fields for armatureacceleration supplied by electromagnets and/or permanent magnetsarranged along the armature's path between the power rails. The powerrails primary function is the supply of armature current. These devices,though more cumbersome, permit more latitude in accelerator design.

Pyrotechnic armature acceleration means such as gun powders and moreesoteric explosives pervasive civilian and military armaments today haveupper armature velocity limits. These upper velocity limits aredetermined by the molecular velocity of the armature propellingexplosion gases at the maximum pressure and temperature permitted in thebarrel. Rail devices do not share this limitation. Therefore, themassive power generation and distribution systems—which can includecryogenic equipment—needed to meet a rail device's immense electriccurrent requirements to propel armatures to hyper velocities are seen asacceptable overhead.

With the effective development of gas cartridge fired power sourcessimilar to those used for emergency power in some commercial andmilitary aircraft, a significant reduction in the mass of rail gunsupport equipment should be possible.

The equations and examples herein are intended as aides to practitionersof the arts relevant to the topic devices and are not part of theclaimed devices, and the degree of their veracity is not intended toreflect adversely on the veracity, spirit, intent, merit or scope ofthis application for letters of patent.

A simplified equation for the incremental force due to one rail in arail device is:df=dq(U×B)=(dQ·dl/dt×B)=I dl×B=I dl×μI(2πr), where μ=4π×10⁻⁷ H/m.  1)The force on the armature due to the current in both rails is then:$\begin{matrix}{{Force} = {{{2\left\lbrack {I^{2}\left( {4\pi \times 10^{- 7}} \right)} \right\rbrack}{\int_{r_{0}}^{r_{1}}\quad{{\mathbb{d}r}/\left( {2\pi\quad r} \right)}}} = {{I^{2}\left( {4 \times 10^{- 7}} \right)}{\ln\left( {r_{2}/r_{0}} \right)}{Newton}}}} & \left. 2 \right)\end{matrix}$where r_(o) is effective radius of one of the rails and r_(a) is thestraight line distance from that rail to the second rail.

The following example illustrates the magnitude of the currents requiredby conventional rail devices.

A hypothetical device with a 11.43 mm cylindrical bore (0.45 inches) andan approximate 0.6264 m (24 inches) barrel length, fires a 6.48 gram(100 grain) bullet with muzzle velocity of 1524 m/s (5000 ft/s).Ignoring air and barrel friction, a like muzzle velocity would alsoresult from a steady force of 12344.2 N (2775 lbf) applied to the bulletduring its 0.0008 second barrel traverse. At the muzzle the bullet has7525 J (5550 ft-lbf) kinetic energy.

Applying equation 2, above, for the rail device force (with anr_(a)/r_(o) ratio of 5.4) for like performance of a 0.6264 m (24 inches)long rail device propelled bullet and ignoring air and barrel frictionand circuit losses, a current of approximately 135,065 Amperes at a railpotential of 69.6 Volts is required to produce the 12344.2 N force onthe armature for the 0.8 millisecond barrel traverse time.

For a like performance in a rail device that has a 0.6264 m long barrel(24 inches) cavity with a rectangular right section and a r_(a)/r_(o)ratio of 15, propelling a 6.48 gram (100 grain) flat armature with a0.0422 m (1.66 inches) long propulsion bus, an approximate current of106,751 Amperes at a rail potential of 88.1 volts is required to producethe 12344.2 Newton (2775 lbf) force on the armature for its 0.0008second barrel traverse.

The magnetic fields of the electromagnetic propulsion devices in theabove noted parent application Ser. No. 10/707,607 and its divisionalapplications are attributable to both the power rails and the forwardand aft wall conductors of wall conductor assembles. Reliance on thepower rail's magnetic fields requires the barrel cavity's locationbetween the power rails and the armature's propulsion bus (i.e. thearmature's current path between the power rails) to a path between andorthogonal said rails and when coupled with the use of wall conductorsmagnetic fields which for best effect need to be as close as possiblethe propulsion bus with as small as possible a deflection angletherewith, requires said cavity to be fairly narrow.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the topic invention, the barrel power rails are located proximal andparallel and electrically isolated from each other and when there is abarrel rail used in the propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means said railis also located proximal, parallel and electrically isolated from saidpower rails. With this arrangement of barrel rails the magnetic fieldsof the currents in said rails interacting with the current in anarmature's propulsion bus largely cancel each other, and the net forceon the propulsion bus resultant said magnetic fields interaction withthe current in said bus is negligible.

The electromagnetic forces which propel an armature in the invention areresultant the interaction with the electric current (hereinaftercurrent) in the armature's propulsion bus with the magnetic fields ofthe currents in the forward and aft wall conductors of the wallconductor assembly. Without the constraints imposed by the requirementof a rail device that of the armature and its propulsion bus be betweenthe power rails, a very large variety of barrel cavity and armatureprofiles, both symmetric and asymmetric become possible. As long as acontinuous propulsion bus at the armature's circumferential surfaceclosely proximal the cavity's wall and the wall conductors therein ispossible, the motive force propelling the armature in the barrel cavityis possible and the longer the armature's propulsion bus and the wallconductor assembly's wall conductors, the greater the propelling forcewill be per ampere current.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a oblique view of the breech end of a shortened device of theinvention with a armature;

FIG. 2 is an oblique partially cut away view illustrating elements ofthe FIG. 1 device and their arrangement with an armature in the barrelcavity;

FIG. 3 is a oblique view into the barrel's cavity towards the breech;

FIG. 4 is an oblique view of the barrel in FIG. 1 shortened anddisassembled;

FIG. 5 is an oblique view of an armature for the device in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an oblique view of the armature in FIG. 5 disassembled;

FIG. 7 is an oblique cutaway view of the device in FIG. 1 with anarmature in its barrel cavity to illustrate the current path therein;

FIG. 8 is an oblique view of a breech end section of the rail assemblyused in the FIG. 1 device;

FIG. 9 is an oblique view of an armature which include a current bus asthe propulsion bus aft shunt circuit means;

FIG. 10 is an oblique view of the armature in FIG. 9 disassembled;

FIG. 11 is an oblique view of a breech end section of the rail assemblyused in the FIG. 1 device that uses FIG. 9 armatures;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Slight variations in the cavity's profiles in barrel cavity rightsections taken at the openings in the barrel cavity walls for wallconductor's contact means and said means therein, are disregarded andsections taken to the central cavity axis throughout the cavity areconsidered alike; i.e. cavity's profiles in right section planes to saidcavity axis are alike.

The cavity's central axis is through the centroid centers of thecavity's profile in said right sections. Generally the central axis ofan element is the line through the centroid centers of right sectionstaken through said element along a path in which said element'sstructure is uniform; e.g. the central axis of a barrel power rail isthrough the centroid centers of right sections (profiles) to the railtaken along its length other then where said rail has power take inputmeans.

In this invention, an armature is electromagnetically propelled frombreech to muzzle in the barrel cavity by the interaction of thearmature's propulsion bus current with the magnetic fields of thecurrents in barrel wall conductors located immediately forward and aftsaid bus during the armature's barrel cavity traverse.

The propulsion bus of the armatures for the devices is orientedorthogonal the armature's axis and, when in the barrel cavity, to thearmature's direction of barrel cavity traverse and the barrel cavity'saxis. Said propulsion bus extends around most of the armature'sperimeter at its surface proximal the barrel cavity's wall surface.

Armatures for the device also includes a forward current shunt and anaft current shunt in its surface proximal the barrel cavity surface.With an armature in the barrel cavity, the armature's forward currentshunt is located on the muzzle side of the propulsion bus and iselectrically insulated from direct electrical continuity with the restof the armature and the aft current shunt is located on the breech sideof the propulsion bus and is also insulated from direct electricalcontinuity with the rest of the armature except when the propulsionbus-aft shunt circuit means of the device is a current bus in thearmature connecting the aft current shunt with the shunt proximal end ofthe armature's propulsion bus.

The device includes a wall conductor assembly in its barrel cavity wall.The wall conductor assembly is comprised of an array of parallel,spaced, equal length barrel wall conductors; i.e. wall conductors. Thewall conductors are oriented orthogonal the barrel cavity axis andlocated at or very close to the barrel cavity surface. Said assemblyextends the length of the barrel cavity in which the device is extantand includes a barrel bus in the barrel cavity wall. The barrel busextends parallel the barrel power rails its length.

Each wall conductor of said array of wall conductors has electricalcontinuity at one end with the barrel bus and at its other end with acontact means in a mating opening into the barrel cavity. During anarmature's traverse of the barrel cavity, wall conductors that areforward the armature's propulsion bus and which have electricalcontinuity with the armature's forward current shunt are forward wallconductors. Said electrical continuity is extant during the forwardshunt's traverse past the cavity locations of each said wall conductor'scontact means. Wall conductors that are aft the armature's propulsionbus and which have electrical continuity with the armature's aft currentshunt are aft wall conductors. Said electrical continuity is extantduring the aft shunt's traverse past the cavity locations of each saidwall conductor's contact means. The barrel bus maintains electricalcontinuity between the group of one or more wall conductors comprisingthe forward wall conductors and the group of one or more wall conductorscomprising the aft wall conductors, at any instant, during an armature'straverse of the barrel cavity.

The topic device also has two barrel power rails, each with a connectionmeans for connection to the terminals of an outside power supply. Duringan armature's traverse of the barrel cavity one of the power rails hascontinuous sliding electrical continuity with forward current shuntsurface and the second barrel power rail has continuous slidingelectrical continuity with the end of the armature's propulsion busthereto proximal.

With an armature in the barrel cavity, a series circuit comprised of thebarrel power rail that has sliding continuity with the armature'sforward current shunt, the armature's forward current shunt, the forwardwall conductors, the wall conductor assembly' barrel bus, the aft wallconductors, the armature's aft current shunt, the propulsion bus-aftshunt circuit means—said circuit means maintains electrical continuitybetween the armature's aft current shunt and the end of the armature'spropulsion bus-, the propulsion bus there to proximal and the secondbarrel power rail is extant. With power supplied to the device via thepower rails' connection means, the magnetic fields of the forward andaft wall conductors' currents interact with the current in thearmature's propulsion bus propelling the armature through the barrelcavity from breech to muzzle.

With the device energized and an armature in the barrel cavity, themagnetic fields of a current element at the intersection of an axisplane [i.e. a plane containing the cavity axis] with a conducting wallconductor interacts with the current element at the intersection of saidplane with the propulsion bus, creating forces therein with cavity axisparallel muzzle directed components that propel the armature in thebarrel cavity. The axis plane intersects the propulsion bus a secondtime where said bus is extant at Tr radians distance about thearmature's axis from the first intersection and the magnetic fields ofthe topic wall conductor current element interacts with the currentelement at the second intersection creating forces therein withcomponents parallel the cavity axis and breech directed. The currentelement at the second intersection is at a significantly greater radiusand has a greater deflection angle from the topic wall conductor'scurrent element; therefore, the forces produced in the secondintersection can usually be ignored. One of the advantages of thisembodiment is that it permits electromagnetic propulsion in a vast arrayof symmetric and asymmetric cavity and armature profile designs.

The force in newtons on armatures for the topic device with acylindrical cavity is given by the general simplified equation with across product integrand: $\begin{matrix}{{Force} = {2\left\lbrack {{.9}{\int_{\beta_{0}}^{\beta_{1}}{I_{pb}{r_{pb}\quad \cdot {\mathbb{d}\theta}} \times \left( {\mu_{0}{I_{wc}/\left( {2\pi} \right)}} \right)\left( {{Cos}\quad{\alpha/d_{{wc} - {pb}}}} \right)}}} \right\rbrack}} & \left. 3 \right)\end{matrix}$

l_(pb) is the armature's propulsion bus current. l_(wc) is the total aftwall conductors' current or the total forward wall conductors' current;i.e. l_(pb)=l_(wc). The 2 before the bracketed terms accounts for theinteraction with the armature's propulsion bus current, l_(pb), with themagnetic fields' of the currents in both the forward and aft wallconductors creating the armature's propulsion force. The 0.9 in thebracketed term is an attenuation term compensating for the effect of themagnetic field of a wall conductor's current element on the secondpropulsion bus's current element, when extant, located Tr radians arcdistance about the armature's axis from the primary intersection. Thepropulsion bus is at the cylindrical surface of the armature andoriented orthogonal the cavity's and armature's axes at radius r_(pb).The length in meters of the armature's propulsion bus on whose currentthe wall conductors' magnetic fields act is the integral of r_(pb) dθthrough angle β₁−β₀, where β₀ is the angular location about thearmature's axis of the propulsion bus where it has electrical continuitywith the propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means, and β₁ is the angularlocation about the armature's axis of the propulsion bus at its slidingcontinuity with the barrel power rail. Permeability of free space, μ₀,is 4π×10⁻⁷ Henries/meter. The distance between a current element at anaxis plane's intersection with a wall conductor and the current elementat said axis plane's intersection with armature's propulsion bus isd_(wc-pb) and said distance has deflection angle α from a cavity axisparallel line. The Cos α term is the force component directed parallelthe cavity axis. Both d_(wc-pb) and Cos α in the (Cos α)/d_(wc-pb) termvary for each wall conductor as said conductor's contact means aretraversed by the armature's current shunt and a mean effective valueapproximation for (Cos α)/d_(wc-pb) may best be achieved by computeriteration.

The topic device has a barrel and a cavity through the barrel with abreech end and a muzzle end. The cavity profile in right section planesthrough the barrel cavity throughout the cavity's length are uniform andslight variations in said profiles at sections taken through the contactmeans and said means openings into the cavity are disregarded; i.e.throughout the length of the cavity, the cavity profile in planesperpendicular the cavity axis are alike. With power supplied to thedevice, an armature in or inserted into the breech end of the cavity ispropelled through the cavity towards and out of the cavity's muzzle end.The central axis of an armature in the barrel cavity is parallel andclose or coincident with the barrel cavity's central axis. All armatureprofiles in right section planes taken to the armature's axis aresmaller than the barrel cavity's right section plane profile and aportion of said armature's right section plane profiles are similar tosaid barrel cavity's profile in shape and slightly undersized thereof topermit unobstructed traverse of the barrel cavity by the armature.

The device has two barrel rails that are power rails. The power railsextend from proximal the barrel cavity's breech end to proximal thebarrel cavity's muzzle end and are located in the barrel cavity wallalong the same length of barrel, parallel each other, and proximal andelectrically insulated from each other and each power rail has acontinuous surface along its length that is part of the barrel cavitysurface and extends the length of the barrel through which the devicepropels an armature. Each power rail has a connection means for theattachment of circuitry to an outside power source.

The barrel walls also contain a wall conductor assembly. The wallconductor assembly includes a barrel bus that is located in the barrelwall and, like said power rails, extends from proximal the barrelcavity's breech end to said cavity's muzzle end and is parallel thepower rails. Said barrel bus is in close proximity one of said powerrails and electrically insulated from both power rails.

The wall assembly also includes an array (i.e. a plurality) of likelength parallel wall conductors in the barrel cavity wall which areseparated from each other in a distribution along the length of thebarrel bus and located at or very near the barrel cavity surface andeach wall conductor has at one end electrical continuity with saidbarrel bus. Said wall conductors might have slight variations in lengthto better distribute the wear of a cavity traversing armature's currentshunts.

Each wall conductor extends from proximal the barrel bus, circumscribingwithin the barrel cavity wall most of the cavity, to close proximitywithout contact with the barrel power rail distal the barrel bus. Atsaid power rail proximal location, each wall conductor has and iselectrically continuous with an electrical contact means in a matingopening into the barrel cavity. Except when an armature's current shuntis located at a wall conductor's contact means, the wall conductors,beyond the barrel bus, are electrically insulated from theirsurroundings.

An armature for the device has a propulsion bus which when in the barrelcavity is oriented therein to travel in close proximity to the wallconductors of the wall conductor assembly and carry current in adirection parallel to said wall conductors and orthogonal to saidcavity's central axis. During an armature's barrel cavity traverse itspropulsion bus's current flow is orthogonal the direction of thearmature's barrel cavity traverse.

The propulsion bus of an armature in the barrel cavity is within andvery close to or at the armature's surface proximal the barrel cavity'ssurface and extends from its end with electrical continuity the barrelpower rail proximal the barrel bus to its end at the propulsion bus-aftshunt circuit means with which it also has electrical continuity. Witharmature's movement in the barrel cavity, said barrel power railcontinuity is sliding.

An armature for the device has a forward current shunt that when in thebarrel cavity is located on the muzzle side of the propulsion bus andproximal the power rail distal the wall assembly's barrel bus. Saidforward current shunt has surface in the armature that has continuouselectrical continuity with the wall conductor assembly via the contactmeans of each wall conductor of the group of one or more wall conductorscomprising the forward wall conductors, at any instant, at the barrelcavity location of said shunt's surface. Said forward current shunt alsohas surface with continuous electrical continuity with its proximalpower rail via said rail's barrel cavity surface. With an armature'smovement in the barrel cavity the above said continuous electricalcontinuities are continuous sliding electrical continuities.

During an armature's barrel cavity traverse, surface of its forwardcurrent shunt has continuous sliding electrical continuity with the wallconductor assembly from breech to muzzle. Said continuity is resultantthe continuous sliding electrical continuity said surface hassequentially with successive wall conductors comprising the forward wallconductors of the wall conductor assembly via their contact means assaid contact means pass with continuous sliding electrical continuityacross the forward current shunt's surface as said surface passes thebarrel cavity locations of said contact means. The forward current shuntof an armature in or traversing the barrel cavity thus maintainscontinuous electrical continuity between the proximal power rail andeach wall conductor comprising at any instant the forward wallconductors of the wall conductor assembly.

The forward current shunt, except for its electrical continuity with theproximal power rail and its electrical continuity via the contact meansof each wall conductor of the group of wall conductors comprising theforward wall conductors at any instant, is electrically insulated fromthe rest of the armature and barrel.

The armature also has an aft current shunt that is, with the armature inthe barrel cavity, located on the breech side of the armature'spropulsion bus. Said aft current shunt maintains continuous electricalcontinuity with propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means and when saidmeans includes a third rail, said shunt has surface that, when in thebarrel cavity, has continuous electrical continuity said third rail.

The aft current shunt has surface in the armature that, when in thebarrel cavity, has continuous electrical continuity with the wallconductor assembly via the contact means of each wall conductor of thegroup of one or more wall conductors comprising the aft wall conductors,at any instant, at the barrel cavity location of said shunt surface.With an armature's movement in the barrel cavity the above saidcontinuous electrical continuities are continuous sliding electricalcontinuities.

During an armature's barrel cavity traverse, surface of its aft currentshunt has continuous sliding electrical continuity with the wallconductor assembly from breech to muzzle and said continuity isresultant the continuous sliding electrical continuity said surface hassequentially with successive wall conductors comprising the aft wallconductors of the wall conductor assembly via their contact means assaid contact means pass with continuous sliding electrical continuityacross the aft current shunt's surface as said surface passes the barrelcavity locations of said contact means.

The aft current shunt of an armature in or traversing the barrel cavitythus maintains continuous electrical continuity between the propulsionbus-aft shunt circuit means and the wall conductors comprising the aftwall conductors, at any instant, of the wall conductor assembly.

The device has a propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means that is either ashort current bus in the armature that has physical and electricalcontinuity with both the aft current shunt and the end of the armature'spropulsion bus thereto proximal, or a third barrel rail that: extendsfrom proximal the barrel cavity's breech end to said cavity's muzzleend, has continuous barrel cavity surface its length, is parallel to,and insulated from the power rails.

When the propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means includes a third barrelrail, and an armature is in the barrel cavity, continuous electricalcontinuity is maintained between the armature's propulsion bus and aftcurrent shunt via the continuous electrical continuity of the thirdrail's cavity surface with surface on the aft current shunt and surfaceon the propulsion bus thereto proximal.

With an armature in the barrel cavity, the armature's propulsion bus,except for its electrical continuity with the barrel power rail and itselectrical continuity with the propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means,is electrically insulated from the rest of the armature and barrel. Thearmature's aft current shunt, except for its electrical continuity witheach wall conductor comprising the aft wall conductors, at any instant,via said conductors' contact means and its electrical continuity withthe propulsion bus via the propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means, iselectrically insulated from the rest of the armature and barrel.

With an outside power source connected to the terminals of the powerrails and an armature in or inserted into the barrel cavity of thedevice where said barrel rails and wall assembly are, the electriccurrent path in the device effecting electromagnetic propulsion of thearmature in the barrel cavity towards the muzzle is extant and remainsso while the armature is completely in the barrel cavity where saidrails and wall assembly are. The magnetic fields resultant the electriccurrent in the forward and aft wall conductors of the wall conductorassembly interact with the current flow through the armature'spropulsion bus creating forces therein with cavity axis parallel, muzzledirected components which propel the armature in the barrel cavitytowards the muzzle.

Current path Description

With an armature in the barrel cavity and the connection means of thepower rail with continuous electrical continuity the armature's forwardcurrent shunt connected to the positive terminal of an outside powersupply and the other said power rail's connection means connected tosaid power rail's return terminal, the current's path through the deviceis complete. The current path is from said power rail connected to thepositive terminal of the outside power supply, through said forwardcurrent shunt to the group of one or more wall conductors of the wallconductor assembly comprising the forward wall conductors of saidassembly, at any instant, via the continuous electrical continuity ofsaid wall conductors contact means with the armature's forward currentshunt's surface at their barrel cavity location.

The current path continues in the forward wall conductors—which arealways located immediately in front (i.e. on the muzzle side) of thepropulsion bus of an armature in the barrel cavity—to the wall conductorassembly's barrel bus wherein it has a breech direction and the magneticfields of the currents in the forward wall conductors interact with thearmature's propulsion bus current creating forces in said propulsion busWith cavity axis parallel, muzzle directed components; i.e. thearmature's propulsion bus appears to be attracted to the forward wallconductors.

The current path continues from said assembly's barrel bus to the groupof one or more wall conductors of said wall conductor assemblycomprising the aft wall conductors—which are always located immediatelyaft (i.e. on the breech side) of the propulsion bus of an armature inthe barrel cavity—and therefrom via the electrical continuity of saidaft wall conductors contact means with the armature's aft current shuntsurface at their barrel cavity location to the propulsion bus-aft shuntcircuit means. The magnetic fields of the currents in said aft wallconductors interact with the armature's propulsion bus current creatingforces in said propulsion bus with cavity axis parallel, muzzle directedcomponents; i.e. the armature's propulsion bus appears to be repelled bysaid aft wall conductors.

The current's path continues in said propulsion bus-aft shunt circuitmeans from said aft current shunt to the propulsion bus's end distal itsend with power rail continuity and in said propulsion bus to its endwith continuous power rail continuity. The current path through saidpropulsion bus has the same direction about the armature as the currentpath in forward wall conductors and opposite the current path directionin aft wall conductors. The current path continues in said power railthrough its connection means to the return terminal of the outside powersupply.

Said propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means is either a current busbetween and connecting the aft current shunt and the propulsion bus'send thereto proximal or comprised: an additional barrel rail whichextends between the cavity's breech and muzzle ends with cavity surfaceits length and located proximal, isolated from and parallel said powerrails, and an additional surface on the aft current shunt of an armaturein the barrel cavity that has continuous electrical continuity with saidaddition rail's cavity surface, and a surface on the propulsion bus ofsaid armature that also has continuous electrical continuity with saidadditional rail's cavity surface.

With the positive terminal of the outside power supplied connected tothe connection means of the power rail with continuous electricalcontinuity with the armature's propulsion bus, the current path is fromsaid power rail to the propulsion bus and therein towards the propulsionbus-aft shunt circuit means proximal the armature's current shunts.

The current path continues from the propulsion bus through thepropulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means to the aft wall conductors of thewall conductor assembly wherein it has barrel bus direction; i.e. thecurrent direction in the aft wall conductors is opposite its directionin the armature's propulsion bus. The magnetic fields of the currents inthe aft wall conductors interact with the propulsion bus currentcreating therein forces with barrel cavity axis parallel, muzzledirected components; i.e. the aft wall conductors appear to repel thearmature's propulsion bus.

Current path continues from the aft wall conductors via the wallconductor assembly's barrel bus to the forward wall conductors of saidassembly and therein towards said conductors' electrical continuity withthe armature's forward current shunt and the direction of current in theforward wall conductors is the same as the current direction in thearmature's propulsion bus. The magnetic fields of the currents in theforward wall conductors interact with the current in the propulsion buscreating forces in the propulsion bus with cavity axis parallel, muzzledirected components; i.e. the armature's propulsion bus appears to beattracted to the wall conductor assembly's forward wall conductors. Thecurrent path continues through said forward current shunt to itsproximal power rail and therein, via said rail's connection means to thereturn terminal of said outside power supply.

Regardless the polarity of the power rails with respect to each other,the current in the aft wall conductors of the wall conductor assembly isalways oppositely directed the current in the armature's propulsion busand the current in the forward wall conductors of said assembly isalways like directed the current in said propulsion bus. The collectionof said cavity axis parallel muzzle directed force components in thearmatures propulsion bus due to the interaction of the magnetic fieldsof the currents in the forward and aft wall conductors of the wallconductor assembly with said propulsion bus current propels the armaturein the barrel cavity towards the cavity's muzzle end.

General Design Considerations

The right section barrel cavity profiles at the contact means and theircavity surface ports may have slight irregularities; however, theseirregularities are disregarded herein and said right section barrelcavity profiles, regardless said irregularities, are regarded as thesame as all other right section barrel cavity profiles.

Mathematical expressions used herein; e.g. perpendicular, tangent,parallel, etc., to describe physical characteristics, spacialorientations etc., are limited in their accuracy to the practicallimitation of any of the manufacturing and assembly methods that mightbe used for the device.

The figures herein are not drawn to scale but are sized and shaped tobetter illustrate the invention's arrangement of parts and theirfunctions. For example the wall conductors of the wall conductorassembly could be arranged as a single row of tightly packed thinlyinsulated magnetic wires rigidly fixed to the cavity shell (orcomprising the shell) and the armature's propulsion bus a largerdiameter rigidly fixed wire at the armature's surface and circumscribingthe armature's body. This arrangement reduces the radius at which themagnetic fields of the wall conductors' currents act on the propulsionbus.

The barrel power rails might extend beyond the invention in eitherdirection as a source of power for operations in the barrel and barrelcavity not part of the invention. The barrel bus in like manner mightextend beyond the invention as a possible signal source for operationsin the barrel and barrel cavity not part of the invention.

When the propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means is a short current busin the armature between the aft current shunt and the end of thepropulsion bus proximal said shunt, the magnetic fields of the barrelpower rails interact with said bus's current creating forces thereinwith components orthogonal to the barrel cavity's axis. When armature'scurrent bus is oriented parallel to the armature's axis and when in thebarrel cavity located in the barrel cavity midway between the barrelpower rails, said orthogonal force components collectively resolve intoa tangential force about the armature's axis at the current bus centerline radius. Said tangential force is always directed towards the powerrail at the forward current shunt and away from the power rail at thearmature's propulsion bus. This force might therefore be used to aidarmature rotation during traverse of the barrel cavity, rotation whichis otherwise effected by the barrel cavity surface. When the propulsionbus-aft shunt circuit means for a barrel cavity traversing armature iscomprised of a third barrel rail that has continuous sliding continuitywith both the aft current shunt and the armature's propulsion bus saidtangential force on the armature is eliminated.

Beyond the barrel bus of the wall conductor assembly, wall conductorsare isolated from one another throughout their length when not sharing acommon current shunt at their ends distal the barrel bus. Said isolationis effected by insulating barrel material, and/or insulating coating,and/or sleeves, or less preferably clearance gaps (air).

There can be one or more wall conductors or the equivalent sum in crosssection areas to one or more wall conductors in contact with the eacharmature current shunt.

The forward and the aft wall conductors are each comprised of a group ofone or more wall conductors or the equivalent sum in cross section areasto one or more wall conductors whose contact means have continuity withthe forward and aft current shunts, respectively, at any instant.

Although the wall conductors of the wall conductor assembles hereinillustrated are distributed uniformly along the length of the wallassembly's barrel bus and have constant cross section areas, the wallconductor cross section areas and their spacing might vary along thelength of the assembly. E.g. In a device where barrel mass anddurability are design constraints, to avoid wall conductor failure dueto prohibitive heat and resistance build up, the cross section area of awall conductor at the breech end of the cavity might be many times awall conductor's cross section area at the muzzle. This area variationcompensates for the longer wall conductor conduction time intervals atthe cavity's breech region. The wall conductor distribution densityalong the barrel bus might also be greater at the breech than the muzzleend of the barrel cavity; i.e. the wall conductors would no longer havea uniform distribution along the barrel bus.

For clarity of presentation, the invention embodiments portrayed in theincluded figures are chemically bonded together in assembly. Inpractical applications and for quick refurbishment or repair, theembodiments would be assembled using mechanical fastening means wellknown in the arts.

Molding methods also well known in the arts can be used for barrel,armature fabrication and coil encasement.

An armature's propulsion bus and current shunts whose operational lifeis measured in milliseconds and fractions thereof can be simple formedpieces of sheet Aluminum or Copper alloy or, mass restrictionspermitting, other conducting alloy.

As a safety measure the propulsion bus could be designed to melt orburst open from heat after the anticipated armature's barrel cavitytraverse time has elapsed.

Voids and masses necessary to locate an armature's center of mass for inflight stability are not shown in the figures.

The armatures and barrel for the devices are made of electricallynon-conducting materials such as SiC or high strength proprietaryplastics. The wall conductor assembly and barrel rails are made of goodconducting material such as copper, aluminum or iron alloys.

The wall conductors experience rapid field reversal during barrel cavitytraverse by an armature and any residual magnetic energy (polarization)stored in proximal structure material will have attenuating effects onthe wall conductor's magnetic field.

Generally, in regards the various embodiments of the invention, surfacesof elements of the invention having sliding electrical continuity withother elements thereof might be treated and/or machined and/or formed toeffect a smooth more effect sliding continuity; e.g. a surface withboundary edges could have those edged rounded and the surface could betreated with low friction conducting substances and/or textured toassure a correct current path when elevated voltages are extant in theinvention.

The armature may have variations in its surface extruded parallel to itsaxis; e.g. Corrugated surfaces with troughs parallel to the armature'saxis.

The barrel and its cavity used by the device may extend at the muzzleand/or breech beyond the electromotive propulsion elements of theinvention and in said extensions the armature may or may not be acted onby additional motive, orientation, and material modifying devices orother devices not part of the invention; i.e. the invention may share acommon barrel and barrel cavity with other devices not necessary to orpart of the invention.

Terminology

AFT CURRENT SHUNTS: An aft current shunt is a conductor carried in thearmature's breech section and with the armature in the barrel cavity anaft current shunt is proximal the barrel bus distal power rail and hassurface proximal the barrel cavity's surface and the wall conductorassembly therein and said surface has electrical continuity with saidassembly's contact means at its barrel cavity location and thereby thewall conductors of said contact means and said wall conductors are theaft wall conductors when said continuity is extant.

AFT WALL CONDUCTOR: With an armature for the device in the barrelcavity, the aft wall conductors is the group of one or more consecutivewall conductors which have at any instant continuous, or continuoussliding electrical continuity, via their contact means at the barrelcavity, with an armature's aft current shunt surface at the barrelcavity location of said contact means.

ARMATURE CENTRAL AXIS: The armature's central axis is the line throughthe area centroid centers of right sections of that portion of thearmature in the barrel cavity which has right sections identical inshape to barrel cavity's right sections but slightly undersized thereof.The armature's central axis in the barrel cavity is coincident with thebarrel cavity's central axis or parallel and closely proximal said axis.Alternatively the armature's central axis is the line at the armaturethat, when in the barrel cavity, is coincident the barrel cavity'scentral axis.

AXIAL PLANE or AXIS PLANE: A plane that is coincident with an axis; e.g.an axial plane of the barrel cavity completely contains the barrelcavity axis.

BARREL AXIS: A barrel axis is any line through the barrel that isparallel or coincident with the barrel cavity's central axis and saidcentral axis is a barrel axis.

BARREL AND BARREL CAVITY: As the barrel and barrel cavity containing theinvention might extend beyond the array of wall conductors of the wallconductor assembly in both the breech and muzzle directions, the rightsection plane through the muzzle proximal edge of the wall conductorassembly's wall conductor closest to the muzzle is designated the muzzleend or muzzle end opening of the barrel and barrel cavity of theinvention, as electric circuit effecting an armature's accelerationthrough the barrel cavity of the invention is open when the armature'sforward current shunt is beyond this point in its barrel cavitytraverse.

The right section plane through the breech proximal edge of saidassembly's wall conductor closest to the breech is designated the breechend or breech end opening of the barrel and barrel cavity of theinvention as the armature's aft current shunts must have electricalcontinuity with said wall conductor to initially complete the electriccircuit for the armature's acceleration through the barrel cavity of theinvention. Therefore, the length along the barrel's length occupied bythe wall conductor assembly's array of wall conductors is theinvention's length and location along the length of a barrel and barrelcavity which includes the invention.

BARREL BUS AND RAIL LENGTH AND LOCATION: The length and location alongthe barrel cavity length of the two power rails and the additionalbarrel rail, when extant, might vary slightly from one another in adesign. Therefore, the spacial and size relationships between barrelrails and barrel bus herein are described using the terms ‘like’ or‘similar’.

E.g. The barrel bus distal power rail (i.e. the power rail that hassliding continuity with an armature's forward current shunt) might atthe breech be shortened or displaced in the muzzle direction by as muchas the distance between the breech proximal edge of an armature's aftcurrent shunt and the breech proximal edge of said armature's forwardcurrent shunt. The barrel bus proximal power rail (i.e. the power railthat has sliding continuity with an armature's propulsion bus) might atthe breech be shortened or displaced in the muzzle direction by as muchas the distance between the breech proximal edge of an armature'spropulsion bus and the breech proximal edge of said armature's aftcurrent shunt. The third rail, when extant, of the propulsion bus-aftshunt circuit means might be shortened at the muzzle or displace in thebreech direction by as much as the distance between the muzzle proximaledge of an armature's forward current shunt and the muzzle proximal edgeof said armature's propulsion bus. The barrel buses might be shortenedat their breech and muzzle ends by as much as the width of the wallconductors at said ends while retaining continuity therewith.

BARREL RAIL: A barrel rail is a conductor in the barrel cavity wall,which is parallel to all other barrel rails and can have a twist atconstant radius about said axis, and extends the length of the barrel ofthe invention and has barrel cavity surface along its length. The powerrails and the addition rail of the propulsion bus-aft shunt circuitmeans, when extant, are barrel rails.

CAVITY AXIS: A cavity axis is a line through the barrel cavity that isparallel or coincident with the cavity's central axis. The cavity'scentral axis is a cavity axis.

CAVITY'S CENTRAL AXIS: The cavity's central axis is the line through allbarrel cavity right section area centroid centers.

CONTACT MEANS: Although shown herein as a surface on a wall conductor'sprojection into the barrel cavity, a wall conductor contact means can bea separate entity such as a pin, electric motor type brush assembly orother structure mounted on the wall conductor or mounted in the cavitywall proximal the barrel bus distal end of the wall conductor with alead for electrical continuity therewith.

DIAMETRIC PLANE: A diametric plane is any plane perpendicular to anaxis; i.e. a right section plane

ELECTRICAL ISOLATION: An element that is electrically isolated or anisolated element is limited in meaning to lacking low resistance directelectrical paths to a neighboring element; i.e. the electricallyisolated element is electrically insulated from its neighbor; however,an element can be electrically isolated from one element while havingelectrical continuity therewith through another element that it is notelectrically isolated from and that in turn has direct or indirectcontinuity with said isolated element. Magnetic and electric fieldscouplings are ignored.

FORWARD CURRENT SHUNTS: A forward current shunt is a conductor carriedin the armature's muzzle section and with the armature in the barrelcavity its forward current shunt is proximal the barrel bus distal powerrail and has surface with electrical continuity therewith and hassurface proximal the barrel cavity's surface and the wall conductorassembly therein and said surface has electrical continuity with saidassembly's contact means at its barrel cavity location and thereby thewall conductors of said contact means and said wall conductors are theforward wall conductors when said continuity is extant.

FORWARD WALL CONDUCTOR: With an armature for the device in the barrelcavity, the forward wall conductors are the group of one or moreconsecutive wall conductors that have at any instant continuous, orcontinuous sliding electrical continuity, via its contact means at thebarrel cavity, with an armature's forward current shunt's surface at thebarrel cavity location of said contact means.

LFMTB: Looking from the muzzle towards the breech.

ORTHOGONAL: The terms ‘orthogonal’ and ‘orthogonal to’ indicateperpendicular orientation of the space occupied by one element to thespace occupied by a second element with or without intersection therebetween or perpendicular orientation in space between two directionvectors with or without intersection there between or perpendicularorientation in space between the space occupied by one element and adirection vector with or without intersection there between orperpendicular orientation in space of a line with another line or anelement's space or vector with or without intersection there between.

POWER RAIL: A power rail is a barrel rail which has connection means tooutside the device for attachment of the outside power supply whichsupplies the electric power required for operation of the claimeddevice.

RIGHT SECTIONS: The lines formed, and their shape and enclosed area, ina diametric plane or right section plane to an object by theintersection of the object's surfaces with said plane are referred toherein as right sections and right section profiles.

TWIST: Normally, the collection of differential area elements (rdθdr)comprising the profiles of the barrel in consecutive right sectionplanes taken at incrementally increasing distance from a barrelreference point have like shape and area at fixed radii to a barrelcavity's axis common to all said differential area elements [the axisabout which each differential area element (rdθdr) is generated] andconstant angles about said axis relative to each other and relative to afixed axial reference plane of the barrel.

In armatures for use in said barrel, the collection of differential areaelements (rdθdr) comprising the profiles in consecutive right sectionplanes taken at incrementally increasing distance from a reference pointon the armature have like shape and area at fixed radii to thearmature's axis common to all said differential area elements [the axisabout which each differential area element (rdθdr) is generated] andconstant angles about said axis relative to each other and a fixed axialreference plane of the armature.

The collection of differential areas (rdθdr) comprising the profiles inconsecutive right sections of a barrel with a twist taken atincrementally increasing distance from a barrel reference point havelike shape and area at fixed radii to the barrel cavity axis common toall said differential area elements [the axis about which eachdifferential element (rdθdr) is generated] and constant angles aboutsaid axis relative to each other and incrementally increasing angulardisplacement about said axis with reference said axial reference plane.The rate of increasing angular displacement of the collection ofdifferential areas (rdθdr) comprising said right section profilesrelative to said axial reference plane is constant; i.e.[φ_(i)−φ_(o)]/[d_(i)−d_(o)]=constant, where φ_(o) and d_(o) are anyinitial angle of said group of differential area elements comprisingsaid right section profile about their axis relative to the axialreference plane and its distance along the axis, respectively, and φ_(i)and d_(i) are said group's instant angle to said axial reference planeabout said axis and instant distance along the axis, respectively.

In armatures with a twist for use in said barrel with a twist, thecollection of differential area elements (rdθdr) comprising the profilesin consecutive right section planes taken at incrementally increasingdistance from an armature reference point have like shape and areas atfixed radii to the armature axis common to all said differential areaelements [the axis about which each differential area element (rdθdr) isgenerated] and constant angles about said axis relative to each otherand incrementally increasing angular displacement about said axis withreference said armature's axial reference plane. The rate in angleincrease per axis distance between said profiles and said armature'saxial reference plane is constant and equal to the rate of angleincrease between said barrel profiles and said barrel axial referenceplane.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is portrays the invention's barrel with an armature 32 for theuse therein located at the breech end of the device. Indicated are thebarrel's two sections 11 and 11 a and the barrel cavity 33 and itsextension 33 a at the breech end of the barrel. Also indicated are thepower connection means 31 and 28 of power rails 30 and 27, respectively,to outside the device.

FIG. 2 is the device in FIG. 1 shortened and cutaway to illustrate thearrangement of its various parts with an armature 32 in the barrel'scavity 33. In the figure cavity shell 20 with barrel cavity 33 isretained within the wall conductor assembly 16 which in turn, along withbarrel rail subassembly 25, is rigidly retained in mating openchanneling (best seen in FIG. 4) in barrel sections 11 and 11 a in theassembled device.

Barrel rail subassembly 25 along with power rails 27 and 30 and barrelrail 24 of the propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means mounted therein isindicated. Wall conductor assembly 16 is indicated circumscribing barrelcavity shell 20 with its wall conductors 18 extending from barrel bus 17and circumscribing most of the barrel cavity shell 20 and the barrelcavity 33 and armature 32 therein.

One of the array of wall conductors 18 of said assembly 16 is indicatedalong with one of the array of contact means 19 of said assembly 16.Each wall conductor 18 has a contact means 19 which extends into thebarrel cavity 33 through a mating opening 21 in the cavity shell 20. Theforward and aft current shunts, 34 and 37, respectively, alongpropulsion bus 41 of armature 32 in the barrel cavity 33 are indicated.

Each contact means 19 at the barrel cavity location of the armature'sforward current shunt 34 has continuous electrical continuity withsurface of said shunt and the wall conductor for each said contact meansis a forward wall conductor of the wall conductor assembly while saidcontinuity is extant. Each contact means 19 at the barrel cavitylocation of the armature's aft current shunt 37 has continuouselectrical continuity with surface of said shunt and the wall conductorfor each said contact means is an aft wall conductor of the wallconductor assembly while said continuity is extant.

FIG. 3 is a view into the barrel cavity towards the breech and thebarrel power rail subassembly at slightly staggered sections to thebarrel to better portray the various parts of the invention and theirrelationships to one another. Indicated is one of the array of wallconductors 18 extending from barrel bus 17 of wall conductor assembly16, and circumscribing barrel cavity's shell 20 and barrel cavity 33therein and ending at contact means 19 through opening 21 in shell 20into the barrel cavity 33. An armature's forward or aft current shunt atthe location of a contact means 19 in the barrel cavity has continuouselectrical continuity with said contact means and the wall conductor 18of said means 19. Also indicated is cavity surface 20 i of cavity shell20. Barrel rail subassembly 25 is indicated with power rails 30 and 27along with barrel rail 24 of the propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means.

With an armature in barrel cavity 33, cavity surface 29 of power rail 30has continuous electrical continuity with surface 36 of the armature'sforward current shunt 34 and cavity surface 26 of power rail 27 hascontinuous electrical continuity with surface 42 of the armature'spropulsion bus. Cavity surface 23 of barrel rail 24 has continuouselectrical continuity with surface 39 of the armature's aft currentshunt 37 and surface 40 of said propulsion bus. Barrel rail 24 and itscavity surface 23 and surface 39 of aft current shunt 37 and surface 40of the propulsion bus 41 comprise the propulsion bus-aft shunt circuitmeans in the topic design.

Also indicated on the barrel rail subassembly 25 or guides 5 a, 6 a, 7 aand 8 a, which aid electrical isolation between said rails and which arein guide ways 5, 6, 7 and 8 of an armature in the barrel cavity andtherein aid alignment of said armature during its traverse of the barrelcavity.

FIG. 4 is the barrel of the device in FIG. 1 shortened and disassembled.Indicated are the major barrel elements: barrel sections 11 and 11 a,barrel cavity shell 20, wall conductor assembly 16, barrel railsubassembly 25 and the barrel rails 24, 27 and 30, which mount in barrelrail subassembly 25. Barrel sections 11 and 11 a have open channels 10and 10 a, respectively, in which wall conductor assembly 16 is retainedin the assembled device's barrel and open channels 10 b and 10 ab inwhich barrel rail subassembly 25 is retained in the assembled device'sbarrel. Barrel sections 11 also has channel 10 c for connection means 31of power rail 30 to outside the barrel and barrel section 11 a has asimilar channel 10 d for connection means 28 of barrel power rail 27 tooutside the barrel.

Cavity shell 20 has channels 21 through which mating contact means 19 ofthe wall conductor assembly extend into the barrel cavity 33. Theinternal surface 21 i of cavity shell 20 is the surface of barrel cavity33 and external surface 21 e of the cavity shell 20 is circumscribed bywall conductor assembly 16 in the assembled barrel.

Wall conductor assembly 16 is indicated along with said assembly'sbarrel bus 17 and one wall conductor 18 of said assembly's array of wallconductors 18 along with one contact means 19 of said assembly's arrayof contact means 19.

Barrel rail subassembly has open channels 25 a, 25 b, and 25 c along itslength in which mount barrel power rail 27, barrel power rail 30 andbarrel rail 24, respectively. Barrel rail subassembly 25 also haschannel 25 d which in the assembled barrel aligns with channel 10 c inbarrel section 11 and through which extends connection means 31 ofbarrel power rail 30 and said assembly also has channel 25 e which inthe assembled barrel aligns with channel 10 d in barrel section 11 a andthrough which extends connection means 28 of power rail 27.

FIG. 5 is an armature 32 for the device in FIG. 1. Indicated are forwardcurrent shunt 34, propulsion bus 41 and aft current shunt 37. Witharmature 32 in the barrel cavity 33, indicated surface 35 of forwardcurrent shunt 34 has continuous electrical continuity with the contactmeans 19 of the group of one or more wall conductors 18 of the wallconductor assembly 16 at said shunt surface's barrel cavity location andsaid group of wall conductors comprise the forward wall conductors ofthe wall conductor assembly.

Forward current shunt 34 has insulator 9 protecting it from continuitywith barrel rail 24 of the propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means wheresaid shunt crosses said rails path between guide ways 7 and 8 in thearmature. Surface 36 of forward current shunt 34 is located betweenarmature guide ways 6 and 7 and thereat has continuous electricalcontinuity with cavity surface 29 of power rail 30.

Propulsion bus 41 is located between said forward current shunt 34 andaft current shunt 37 and has insulator 98 which protects it fromelectrical continuity with the contact means of wall conductors when inthe barrel cavity. Surface 40 of propulsion bus 41 is located betweenguide ways 7 and 8 and with the armature 32 in the barrel cavity 33 thepropulsion bus's surface 40 has continuous electrical continuity withthe cavity surface 23 of barrel rail 24 of said propulsion bus-aft shuntcircuit means. Surface 42 of propulsion bus 41 is located between guideways 5 and 6 and with the armature 32 in the barrel cavity 33 thepropulsion bus's surface 42 has continuous electrical continuity withthe cavity surface 26 of barrel power rail 27.

Indicated surface 38 of aft current shunt 37 has continuous electricalcontinuity with the contact means 19 of the group of one or more wallconductors 18 of the wall conductor assembly 16 at said shunt surface'sbarrel cavity location and said group of wall conductors comprise theaft wall conductors of the wall conductor assembly. Surface 39 of aftcurrent shunt 37 is between guide ways 7 and 8 and with armature 32 inbarrel cavity 33 has thereat continuous electrical continuity withcavity surface 23 of barrel rail 24.

With armature 32 in the barrel cavity 33, guides 5 a, 6 a, 7 a and 8 awith power rail 27 between guides 5 a and 6 a and power rail 30 betweenguides 6 a and 7 a and barrel rail 24 between guides 7 a and 8 a ofbarrel rail subassembly 25 are in and travel in guide ways 5, 6, 7, and8, respectively, in the armature's surface.

With armature 32 in barrel cavity 33, barrel rail 24 maintainscontinuous electrical continuity between the aft shunt's surface 39 andthe propulsion bus's surface 40 and said rail and said surfacesconstitute the propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means of the device andpower rail 30 maintains continuous electrical continuity with theforward current shunt's surface 36 and the power rail 27 maintainscontinuous electrical continuity with the propulsion bus's surface 42.The propulsion bus's surface 40, is the propulsion bus's surfaceproximal its end distal its end with power rail continuity and itssurface 42 is its surface with power rail continuity.

FIG. 6 is the armature in FIG. 5 disassembled. Indicated in addition tofeatures already discussed is open channel 50 which, in the assembledarmature, retains forward current shunt 34. Insulator 9 is retained inopen channel 9 a in forward current shunt 34 and therein protects shunt34 from continuity with barrel rail 24 when the armature is in thebarrel cavity. Forward current shunt with insulator 9 when mounted inthe armature supplants and continues the armature's surfaces and guideways 7 and 8. In the assembled armature propulsion bus 41 is retained inopen channel 54 and insulator 98 protects the propulsion bus 41 forelectrical continuity with the contact means of wall conductors at orpassing across it. In the assembled armature, aft current shunt 37 isretained in open channel 52 and therein supplants and continues thearmature's surfaces and guide way 8.

FIG. 7 is a cutaway view of the armature in the barrel's cavity near thebreech to illustrate the currents path through the device. In thefigure, the current's path is indicated by italicized letters: ‘a’, ‘b’,‘c’, ‘d’, ‘e’, ‘f,’, ‘g’, ‘h’, ‘i’, ‘j’, ‘k’, ‘l’, ‘m’, ‘n’, and ‘o’.

With the positive terminal of an outside power supply connected to powerconnection means 31, ‘a’ in the figure, of power rail 30 and the returnterminal of said power supply connected to power connection means 28,‘o’ in the figure, of power rail 27, the current path in power rail 30is from ‘a’ to ‘b’ and continues therein to ‘c’ at the continuouselectrical continuity of the cavity surface 29 of power rail 30 withsurface 36 of the forward current shunt 34. The current's path continuesin forward current shunt 34 from said shunt's surface 36, under saidshunt's insulating element 9, which insulates said shunt from barrelrail 24, to said shunt's surface 35; i.e. the current's path continuesfrom ‘c’ to ‘d’ in the figure.

The current's path continues from the forward current shunt's surface 35to the group of one or more wall conductors 18 comprising the forwardwall conductors of the wall conductor assembly 16, at any instant, viasaid surface's continuous electrical continuity with each said wallconductor's contact means 19 at or passing across it; i.e. from ‘d’ to‘e’ in the figure.

In the forward wall conductors the current's path circumscribes most ofthe barrel cavity and armature therein immediately forward thearmature's propulsion bus 41 in the clockwise direction, LFMTB, andcontinues from the forward wall conductors to the wall conductorassembly's barrel bus 17; i.e. from ‘e’ to ‘f’ in the figure. Themagnetic fields of the currents in the wall conductors comprising theforward wall conductors at any instant, interact with the current in thearmature's propulsion bus, which also has clockwise direction, creatingforces in the propulsion bus with cavity axis parallel, muzzle directedcomponents; i.e. apparent forces of attraction to the forward wallconductors are created in the armature's propulsion bus.

In barrel bus 17 the current's path is breech directed to the wallconductors of the wall conductor assembly, comprising the aft wallconductors at any instant, by virtue of the electrical continuity oftheir contact means 19 with surface 38 of aft current shunt 37; from ‘f’to ‘g’ to ‘h’ to ‘i’ in the figure. The currents' paths in the wallconductors comprising the aft wall conductors at any instant has counterclockwise direction, LFMTB, about the barrel cavity and armature thereinand is always immediately aft the armature's propulsion bus. Themagnetic fields of the currents in the aft wall conductors interact withthe armature's propulsion bus current creating forces in the propulsionbus with cavity axis parallel, muzzle directed components; i.e. apparentforces of repulsion from the aft wall conductors are created in thepropulsion bus.

The current's path in aft current shunt 37 is from said shunt's surface38 to surface 39; i.e. from ‘i’ to ‘j’ in the figure. Aft shunt'ssurface 39 has continuous electrical continuity with cavity surface 23of the additional barrel rail, barrel rail 24, use in the propulsionbus-aft shunt circuit means in the topic design and the current's pathcontinues in barrel rail 24 to its cavity surface's continuouscontinuity with surface 40 of the propulsion bus 41; i.e. from ‘j’ to‘k’ in the figure.

Surface 39 of aft current shunt 37, ‘j’ in the figure, and surface 40 ofpropulsion bus 41, ‘k’ in the figure, are the aft current shunt'sadditional surface and the propulsion bus's additional surface,respectively, which, along with barrel rail 24, comprise the propulsionbus-aft shunt circuit means in the topic design.

The current's path continues in the armature's propulsion bus from itssurface 40, ‘k’ in the figure, passing under propulsion bus insulator98, which protects the propulsion bus from continuity with the contactmeans of wall conductors passing across it, to ‘l’, then circumscribesmost of the body of the armature and exits the propulsion bus at saidbus's surface 42, ‘m’ in the figure. The current's direction, LFMTB,about the body of the armature in propulsion bus 41 is always the sameas the currents' direction in the forward wall conductors and oppositethe currents' direction in the aft wall conductors. As noted above, themagnetic fields of the currents in the forward and aft wall conductorsinteract with the propulsion bus current creating forces in thepropulsion bus. Said propulsion bus forces propel the armature in thebarrel cavity towards and out of the barrel cavity's muzzle opening. Thecurrent's path continues from propulsion bus surface 42, ‘m’ in thefigure, to cavity surface 26 of power rail 27 with which it hascontinuous electrical continuity. The current's path in power rail 27has breech direction to said rail's connection means 28 and therefrom tothe return terminal of the outside power supply. The current's path isfrom ‘m’ to ‘n’ to ‘o’ in the figure.

With the polarities of the power rails reversed, the current's path inpower rail 27 is from connection means 28 to said rail's continuity withsurface 42 of the armature's propulsion bus 41; i.e. from ‘o’ to ‘n’ to‘m’ in the figure. The current's path continues in propulsion bus 41 ina counter clockwise direction, LFMTB, to the propulsion bus's surface 40and therefrom to barrel rail 24 of the propulsion bus-aft shunt circuitmeans; i.e. from ‘m’ to ‘l’ to ‘k’ in the figure. The current's pathcontinues with breech direction in barrel rail 24 to the continuity ofits surface 23 with surface 39 of the aft current shunt 37; i.e. from‘k’ to ‘j’ in the figure.

The current's path continues in aft current shunt 37 from said shunt'ssurface 39 to surface 38 whereat it continues in the aft wallconductors, via said conductors contact means 19, in a clockwisedirection to the barrel bus 17 of the wall conductor assembly 16; i.e.from ‘j’ to ‘i’ to ‘h’ to ‘g’ in the figure. The magnetic fields of thecurrents in the aft wall conductors interact with the propulsion buscurrent creating therein forces with cavity axis parallel, muzzledirected components; i.e. apparent forces of repulsion to the aft wallconductors are created in the propulsion bus.

The currents path continues in the wall conductor assembly's barrel busin the muzzle direction to the forward wall conductors wherein said pathhas a counter clockwise direction about the barrel cavity and armaturetherein to electrical continuity of the contact means 19 of said wallconductors with surface 35 of forward wall conductor 34; i.e. from ‘g’to ‘f’ to ‘e’ to ‘d’ in the figure. The magnetic fields of the currentsin the forward wall conductors interact with the propulsion bus currentcreating in the propulsion bus forces with cavity axis parallel, muzzledirected components; i.e. apparent forces of attraction to the forwardwall conductors are created in the propulsion bus.

The current's path continues through forward current shunt 34 fromsurface 35, under insulator 9, to surface 36. The current's pathcontinues from forward current shunt's surface 36 through barrel rail 30to said rails connection means 31 to the outside power rail; i.e. from‘d’ to ‘c’ to ‘b’ to ‘a’ in the figure.

As indicated above, regardless the instant polarity of the power rails,the forces created in the propulsion bus of an armature in the barrelcavity due to the interaction with said bus's current of the magneticfields of the currents in the forward and aft wall conductors propel thearmature in the barrel's cavity towards the muzzle.

FIG. 8 is a breech end section of the barrel rail subassembly 25 withits various features indicated. Guides 5 a, 6 a, 7 a, and 8 a of therail subassembly are in guide ways 5, 6, 7 and 8, respectively, of anarmature in the barrel cavity and travel therein while the armaturetraverses said cavity to maintain the proper orientation of thearmature. Guides 5, 6, 7 and 8 also maintain electrical isolationbetween of the power rails 27 and 30 and barrel rail 24 of thepropulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means. Barrel cavity surface 23 ofbarrel rail 24 with an armature in the barrel cavity maintainscontinuous electrical continuity with propulsion bus surface 40 and aftcurrent shunt surface 39 of said armature. Aft current shunt surface 39and propulsion bus surface 40 along with barrel rail 24 and its cavitysurface 23 comprise the propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means of thedesign. Indicated also are cavity surface 29 of power rail 30 and cavitysurface 26 of power rail 27. With an armature in the barrel cavity,cavity surface 29 of power rail 30 maintains continuous electricalcontinuity with surface 36 of said armature's forward current shunt 34and cavity surface 26 of power rail 27 maintains continuous electricalcontinuity with surface 42 of said armature's propulsion bus.

FIG. 9 portrays an armature which contains a current bus as thepropulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means for use with the barrel in FIG. 1that has its barrel rail subassembly 25 replaced with barrel railsubassembly 125. A breech end section of subassembly 125 is indicated inFIG. 11. Aft current shunt 137 has only surface 138 and propulsion bus141 has only surface 142 and there is no barrel rail 24 in this design.Current bus 140 in the armature extending between and connecting the aftcurrent shunt 137 and the propulsion bus 141 replaces these features ofthe propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means used in the preceding design.

In the topic armature there are only 3 guide ways, 105, 106 and 107 andthe forward current shunt requires no insulator element. Insulator 199protects the aft current shunt and the armature's current bus fromelectrical continuity with power rail 130. Surface 129 of power rail 130is between guide ways 106 and 107 of an armature in the barrel cavityand has thereat continuous electrical continuity with forward currentshunt surface 136 and surface 126 of power rail 127 is between guideways 105 and 106 of an armature in the barrel's cavity and has thereatcontinuous electrical continuity with surface 142 of propulsion bus 141.

FIG. 10 is a oblique view of the topic armature disassembled. Indicatedare forward current shunt 134 which mounts in open channel 150 andtherein supplants and continues the armature's surface and guide way107. Current bus 140 of the propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit meansextends between and connects aft current shunt 137 and propulsion bus141 at its end distal its end with power rail continuity. In theassembled armature, aft current shunt 137 mounts in open channel 152 andtherein supplants and continues the armature's surface and thepropulsion bus 141 mounts in open channel 154 and therein supplants andcontinues the armature's surface and current bus 140 mounts in channel153 which communicates with both channels 152 and 154. In the assembledarmature insulator 199 covers part of channel 152 and part of channel154 and all of channel 153 and current bus 140 therein and supplants andcontinues the armature's surface and the guide ways 106 and 107 thereat.Propulsion bus insulator 198 of an armature in the barrel's cavity,which protects said bus from continuity with the contact means of wallconductors at or crossing over said bus, mounts on said bus in channel154 and therein supplants and continues the armature's surface thereat.

FIG. 11 is an oblique view of a breech end section of the barrel railsubassembly 125 replacing barrel rail subassembly 25 in the barrel inFIG. 1 to adapt it for use in propelling armatures of the design inFIGS. 9 and 10. With an armature in the barrel's cavity, guides 105 a,106 a, and 107 a are in and travel in armature guide ways 105,106 and107, respectively, maintaining proper armature orientation andelectrical isolation between power rail 127 and 130 mounted in saidassembly.

It should be noted that armatures with a current bus for the propulsionbus-aft shunt circuit means can be designed for used in the barrel inFIG. 1 with barrel rail subassembly 25, making the barrel with saidbarrel rail subassembly suitable to both armatures with and without acurrent bus for the propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit mean. When thebarrel is used with an armature with a current bus, the barrel rail 24has a passive roll as a spacer.

Although the invention has been described herein with reference to thepresently preferred embodiments, a great number of modifications,changes and alterations, including alternative configurations of saidembodiments, are possible without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined in the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

1. Electromagnetic propulsion devices comprising: a barrel; a cavitytherein which extends the length of said barrel and having: a breech endopening at one end and a muzzle end opening at the other barrel end anda central axis which extends from said breech end opening to said muzzleend opening and a uniform right section profile to said central axisthroughout said cavity; and two barrel rails which are: power rails, andparallel to one another and located in said barrel cavity's wall, andelectrically insulated from direct electrical continuity with eachother, and each said power rail has: continuous barrel cavity surfacealong its length and connection means to outside said barrel forattachment to a power source; and a wall conductor assembly comprisedof: a barrel bus that is: located outside of said barrel cavity, andparallel said barrel power rails, and electrically insulated from directelectrical continuity with said barrel power rails, and located alongthe same length of the barrel as said power rails; and an array of wallconductors that are: located outside of said barrel cavity, and orientedorthogonal said barrel cavity axis, and parallel to one another, andseparated from one another, and distributed along the length of saidbarrel bus, and each wall conductor of said wall conductor array: is acontinuous insulated conductor between its ends, and has electricalcontinuity at one end with said barrel bus, and circumscribes most ofthe barrel cavity from said barrel bus to proximal said power raildistal said barrel bus, and circumscribes most of the barrel cavity inthe same direction from said continuity with said barrel bus as allother wall conductors of said array of wall conductors; and contactmeans for each wall conductor of said array of wall conductors that: islocated proximal said wall conductor's end that is distal said wallconductor's end with said barrel bus continuity, and has continuouselectrical continuity with said wall conductor thereat, and extendsthrough a mating opening in the barrel cavity wall, and has surface inthe barrel cavity; and armatures for propulsion through said barrelcavity and each said armature has: a central axis that is, with saidarmature in said barrel cavity, coincident the central axis of saidcavity or very close and parallel the cavity's central axis, and amuzzle end that is, with said armature in said barrel cavity, thearmature's end closest the cavity's muzzle end, and a breech end thatis, with said armature in said barrel cavity, the armature's end closestthe cavity's breech end, and all right section profiles to said axissmaller than said barrel cavity's right section profile, and a portionof said profiles like said barrel cavity's right section profile butslightly undersized thereof; and a propulsion bus that is: a continuousconductor between its ends, and located midway between said armature'smuzzle and breech ends, and oriented orthogonal said armature's centralaxis, and located in said armature where said cavity's right sectionprofile and said armature's right section profiles are similar, andlocated within said armature, in, at or proximal said armature's surfacethat in said barrel cavity is proximal said cavity's surface, and saidpropulsion bus between its ends circumscribes most of said armature, andhas, with said armature in said barrel cavity, surface at one end withcontinuous electrical continuity with said cavity surface of one of saidpower rails and continuous electrical continuity at its other end withpropulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means; and a forward current shuntthat: is located in said armature's surface between said propulsion busand said armature's muzzle end, and, with said armature in said barrelcavity, is proximal the power rail without said propulsion buscontinuity and has surface with continuous electrical continuity withthe cavity surface of said power rail and is insulated from directelectrical continuity from said power rail with said propulsion buscontinuity, and has surface at and with continuous electrical continuitywith said contact means of said wall conductor assembly at the instantbarrel cavity location of said shunt's surface; and said wall conductorassembly has additionally, with an armature in said barrel cavity,forward wall conductors comprised of: the group of one or moreconsecutive wall conductors of said wall conductor assembly whosecontact means at any instant have said electrical continuity with saidforward current shunt surface at said contact means; and each saidarmature also has an aft current shunt that: is located in thearmature's surface between said propulsion bus and said armature'sbreech end, and, with said armature in said barrel cavity, hascontinuous electrical continuity with propulsion bus-aft shunt circuitmeans, and has surface at and with continuous electrical continuity withsaid contact means of said wall conductor assembly at the instant barrelcavity location of said shunt's surface; and said wall conductorassembly has additionally, with an armature in said barrel cavity, aftwall conductors comprised of: the group of one or more consecutive wallconductors of said wall conductor assembly whose contact means at anyinstant have said electrical continuity with said aft current shuntsurface at said contact means; and said propulsion bus-aft shunt circuitmeans is comprised: an electric current bus in said armature that islocated: proximal said current shunts therein, and between andconnecting said aft current shunt and the end of said propulsion busdistal said propulsion bus's end with said power rail continuity; andwherein with power supplied to the power rails by an outside powersupply so that: the magnetic fields of current in said forward wallconductors interact with the current in said propulsion bus creatingforces in said propulsion bus with cavity axis parallel, muzzle directedcomponents, and the magnetic fields of current in said aft wallconductors interact with the current in said propulsion bus creatingforces in said propulsion bus with cavity axis parallel, muzzle directedcomponents, and said cavity axis parallel, muzzle directed forcecomponents, propel the armature through said barrel's cavity from breechto muzzle.
 2. Electromagnetic propulsion devices as claimed in claim 1wherein said barrel has a twist so that consecutive right sectionsthrough the barrel have a constant rate of angular rotation about saidcavity axis per unit cavity axis distance; and said armatures for use insaid barrel cavity have a twist so that consecutive right sectionsthrough said armatures have the same constant rate of angular rotationabout the armature axis per unit axis distance; and said twist impartsrotation to said armatures during their traverse from said barrelcavity's breech end to muzzle end.
 3. Electromagnetic propulsion devicesas claimed in claim 1 but wherein said propulsion bus-aft shunt circuitmeans is comprised: a third barrel rail that: is located in said barrelwall, and has continuous barrel cavity surface along its length, and iselectrically isolated from said barrel power rails, and is parallel saidbarrel power rails, and is located along the same barrel cavity lengthas said power rails; and additional surface on said propulsion bus that:is proximal said bus's end that is distal said bus's end with power railcontinuity, and with said armature in said barrel cavity, is at and hascontinuous electrical continuity with the barrel cavity surface of saidthird barrel rail; and additional surface on said aft current shuntthat: with said armature in said barrel cavity, is at and has continuouselectrical continuity with the barrel cavity surface of said thirdbarrel rail.
 4. An electromagnetic propulsion device as claimed in claim3 wherein the barrel cavity has a twist so that: consecutive rightsections through the barrel have a constant rate of angular rotationabout the cavity axis per unit cavity distance; and armatures for use insaid barrel cavity have a twist so that: consecutive right sectionsthrough said armatures have the same constant angular rotation rateabout the armature axis per unit axis distance, and said twist impartsrotation to said armatures during their barrel cavity traverse. 5.Electromagnetic propulsion devices comprising: a barrel; a cavitytherein which extends the length of said barrel and having: a breech endopening at one end, and a muzzle end opening at the other barrel end,and a central axis which extends from said breech end opening to saidmuzzle end opening, and a uniform right section profile to said centralaxis throughout said cavity; and two barrel rails which are: powerrails, and parallel to one another and located in said barrel cavity'swall, and electrically insulated from direct electrical continuity witheach other, and each said power rail has: continuous barrel cavitysurface along its length and connection means to outside said barrel forattachment to a power source; and a wall conductor assembly comprisedof:  a barrel bus that is:  located outside of said barrel cavity, and parallel to said barrel power rails, and  electrically insulated fromdirect electrical continuity with said barrel power rails, and  locatedalong the same length of the barrel as said power rails; and an array ofwall conductors that are:  located outside of said barrel cavity, and oriented orthogonal said barrel cavity axis, and  parallel to oneanother, and  separated from one another, and  distributed along thelength of said barrel bus, and each wall conductor of said wallconductor array:  is a continuous insulated conductor between its ends,and  has electrical continuity at one end with said barrel bus, and circumscribes most of the barrel cavity from said barrel bus toproximal said power rail thereto distal, and  circumscribes most of thebarrel cavity in the same direction from said continuity with saidbarrel bus as all other wall conductors of said array of wallconductors; and contact means for each wall conductor of said array ofwall conductors that: is located proximal the end of said wall conductorthat is distal said wall conductor's end with said barrel buscontinuity, and has continuous electrical continuity with said wallconductor's barrel bus distal end, and extends through a mating openingin the barrel cavity wall and has surface in the barrel cavity; andarmatures for propulsion through said barrel cavity and each saidarmature has: a central axis that is, with said armature in said barrelcavity, coincident the central axis of said cavity or very close andparallel the cavity's central axis, and a muzzle end that is, with saidarmature in said barrel cavity, the armature's end closest the cavity'smuzzle end, and a breech end that is, with said armature in said barrelcavity, the armature's end closest the cavity's breech end, and allright section profiles to said axis smaller than said barrel cavity'sright section profile, and a portion of said profiles like said barrelcavity's right section profile but slightly undersized thereof; and apropulsion bus that is: a continuous conductor between its ends, andlocated midway between said armature's muzzle and breech ends, andoriented orthogonal said armature's central axis, and located in saidarmature where said cavity's right section profile and said armature'sright section profiles are similar, and located within said armature,in, at or proximal said armature's surface that in said barrel cavity isproximal said cavity's surface, and said propulsion bus  between itsends circumscribes most of said armature, and has, with said armature insaid barrel cavity,  surface at one end with continuous electricalcontinuity with said cavity surface of one of said power rails and witharmature movement in said barrel cavity said electrical continuity iscontinuous sliding electrical continuity, and  continuous electricalcontinuity at its other end with propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means;and a forward current shunt that: is located in said armature's surfacebetween said propulsion bus and said armature's muzzle end, and, withsaid armature in said barrel cavity, is proximal the barrel power railwithout propulsion bus continuity, and has surface with continuouselectrical continuity with the cavity surface of said power rail andwith armature movement in said barrel cavity said electrical continuityis continuous sliding electrical continuity, and is insulated fromdirect electrical continuity with the power rail with propulsion buscontinuity, and has surface at and with continuous electrical continuitywith said contact means of said wall conductor assembly at the instantbarrel cavity location of said shunt surface and said continuity issliding electrical continuity with armature movement in the barrelcavity; and said wall conductor assembly has additionally, with anarmature in said barrel cavity, forward wall conductors comprised of:the group of one or more consecutive wall conductors of said wallconductor assembly whose contact means at any instant have saidelectrical continuity with said forward current shunt surface at saidcontact means; and said forward current shunt of an armature in saidbarrel cavity, via said shunt's continuous electrical continuity withsaid power rail and said shunt's continuous electrical continuity withsaid forward wall conductors of said wall conductor assembly, maintainscontinuous electrical continuity between said barrel power rail and saidforward wall conductors; and each said armature also has: an aft currentshunt that: is located in the armature's surface between said propulsionbus and said armature's breech end, and, with said armature in saidbarrel cavity, has continuous electrical continuity with propulsionbus-aft shunt circuit means, and has surface at and with continuouselectrical continuity with said contact means of said wall conductorassembly at the instant barrel cavity location of said shunt's surfaceand said continuity is sliding electrical continuity with armaturemovement in the barrel cavity, and said aft current shunt of an armaturein the barrel cavity is electrically insulated from direct electricalcontinuity with said barrel power rails; and said wall conductorassembly has additionally, with an armature in said barrel cavity, aftwall conductors comprised of: the group of one or more consecutive wallconductors of said wall conductor assembly whose contact means at anyinstant have said electrical continuity with said aft current shuntsurface at said contact means; and said aft current shunt of an armaturein said barrel cavity, via said shunt's continuous electrical continuitywith said propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means and said shunt'scontinuous electrical continuity with said aft wall conductors of saidwall conductor assembly, maintains continuous electrical continuitybetween said propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means and said aft wallconductors; and said barrel bus of said wall conductor assembly, with anarmature in said barrel cavity, maintains continuous electricalcontinuity between said forward wall conductors and said aft wallconductors of said wall conductor assembly; and said propulsion bus-aftshunt circuit means is comprised: an electric current bus in saidarmature that is located: proximal said current shunts therein, andbetween and connecting said aft current shunt and the end of saidpropulsion bus distal said propulsion bus's end with said power railcontinuity; and wherein with power supplied to the power rails by anoutside power supply so that: the magnetic fields of current in saidforward wall conductors interact with the current in said propulsion buscreating forces in said propulsion bus with cavity axis parallel, muzzledirected components, and the magnetic fields of current in said aft wallconductors interact with the current in said propulsion bus creatingforces in said propulsion bus with cavity axis parallel, muzzle directedcomponents, and said cavity axis parallel, muzzle directed forcecomponents, propel the armature through the barrel cavity from breech tomuzzle.
 6. Electromagnetic propulsion devices as claimed in claim 5wherein said barrel has a twist so that consecutive right sectionsthrough the barrel have a constant rate of angular rotation about saidcavity axis per unit cavity axis distance; and said armatures for use insaid barrel cavity have a twist so that consecutive right sectionsthrough said armatures have the same constant rate of angular rotationabout the armature axis per unit axis distance; and said twist impartsrotation to said armatures during their traverse from said barrelcavity's breech to muzzle.
 7. Electromagnetic propulsion devices asclaimed in claim 5 but wherein said propulsion bus-aft shunt circuitmeans is comprised: a third barrel rail that: is located in said barrelwall, and has continuous barrel cavity surface along its length, and iselectrically isolated from said barrel power rails, and is parallel saidbarrel power rails, and is located along the same barrel cavity lengthas said power rails; and additional surface on said propulsion bus thatis: proximal said bus's end that is distal said bus's end with powerrail continuity, and, with said armature in said barrel cavity, at andhas continuous electrical continuity with the barrel cavity surface ofsaid third rail and said continuity is sliding electrical continuitywith armature movement in the barrel cavity; and additional surface onsaid aft current shunt that is, with said armature in said barrelcavity, at and has continuous electrical continuity with the barrelcavity surface of said third barrel rail and said continuity is slidingelectrical continuity with armature movement in the barrel cavity; andsaid propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means, with said armature in saidbarrel cavity, maintains continuous electrical continuity between saidpropulsion bus and said aft current shunt.
 8. An electromagneticpropulsion device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the barrel has a twistso that consecutive right sections through the barrel have a constantrate of angular rotation about the cavity axis per unit cavity distance;and armatures for use in said barrel cavity have a twist so thatconsecutive right sections through said armatures have the same constantangular rotation rate about the armature axis per unit axis distance,and said twist imparts rotation to said armature during their barrelcavity traverse.
 9. Electromagnetic propulsion devices comprising: abarrel; a cavity therein which extends the length of said barrel andhaving: a breech end opening at one end, and a muzzle end opening at theother barrel end, and a central axis which extends from said breech endopening to said muzzle end opening, and a uniform right section profileto said central axis throughout said cavity; and two barrel rails whichare: power rails, and parallel to one another, and located in saidbarrel cavity's wall, and electrically insulated from direct electricalcontinuity with each other, and each said power rail has: continuousbarrel cavity surface along its length and connection means to outsidesaid barrel for attachment to a power source; and a wall conductorassembly comprised of: a barrel bus that is: located outside of saidbarrel cavity, and parallel said barrel power rails, and electricallyinsulated from direct electrical continuity with said barrel powerrails, and located along the same length of the barrel as said powerrails; and an array of wall conductors that are: located outside of saidbarrel cavity, and oriented orthogonal said barrel cavity axis, andparallel to one another, and separated from one another, and distributedalong the length of said barrel bus, and each wall conductor of saidwall conductor array: is a continuous insulated conductor between itsends, and has electrical continuity at one end with said barrel bus, andcircumscribes most of the barrel cavity from said barrel bus to saidpower rail thereto distal and circumscribes most of the barrel cavity inthe same direction from said continuity with said barrel bus as allother wall conductors of said array of wall conductors; and contactmeans for each wall conductor of said array of wall conductors that: islocated proximal the end of said wall conductor that is distal said wallconductor's end with said barrel bus continuity, and has continuouselectrical continuity with said wall conductor's barrel bus distal end,and extends through a mating opening in the barrel cavity wall and hassurface in the barrel cavity; and armatures for propulsion through saidbarrel cavity and each said armature has: a central axis that is, withsaid armature in said barrel cavity, coincident the central axis of saidcavity or very close and parallel the cavity's central axis, and amuzzle end that is, with said armature in said barrel cavity, thearmature's end closest the cavity's muzzle end, and a breech end thatis, with said armature in said barrel cavity, the armature's end closestthe cavity's breech end, and all right section profiles to said axissmaller than said barrel cavity's right section profile, and a portionof said profiles like said barrel cavity's right section profile butslightly undersized thereof; and a propulsion bus that is: a continuousconductor between its ends, and located midway between said armature'smuzzle and breech ends, and oriented orthogonal said armature's centralaxis, and located in said armature where said cavity's right sectionprofile and said armature's right section profiles are similar, andlocated within said armature, in, at or proximal said armature'ssurface, and with the armature in said barrel's cavity, said propulsionbus: is proximal said cavity's surface, and between its endscircumscribes most of said armature, and has surface at one end withcontinuous electrical continuity with the cavity surface of one of saidpower rails and with armature movement in said barrel cavity saidelectrical continuity is continuous sliding electrical continuity, andhas continuous electrical continuity at its other end with propulsionbus-aft shunt circuit means; and a forward current shunt that: islocated in said armature's surface between said propulsion bus and saidarmature's muzzle end, and, with said armature in said barrel cavity, isproximal the said barrel power rail without propulsion bus continuity,and has surface with continuous electrical continuity with the cavitysurface of said power rail and with armature movement in said barrelcavity said electrical continuity is continuous sliding electricalcontinuity and is insulated from direct electrical continuity with thesaid power rail with propulsion bus continuity, and has surface at andwith continuous electrical continuity with said contact means of saidwall conductor assembly at the instant barrel cavity location of saidshunt surface and said continuity is sliding electrical continuity witharmature movement in the barrel cavity; and said wall conductor assemblyhas additionally, with an armature in said barrel cavity, forward wallconductors comprised of: the group of one or more consecutive wallconductors of said wall conductor assembly whose contact means at anyinstant have said electrical continuity with said forward current shuntsurface at said contact means; and said forward current shunt of anarmature in said barrel cavity, via said shunt's continuous electricalcontinuity with said power rail and said shunt's continuous electricalcontinuity with said forward wall conductors of said wall conductorassembly, maintains continuous electrical continuity between said barrelpower rail and said forward wall conductors, and, with power supplied byan outside power supply to said power rails, maintains a current pathbetween said barrel power rail, and said forward wall conductors; andeach said armature also has an aft current shunt that: is located in thearmature's surface between said propulsion bus and said armature'sbreech end, and, with said armature in said barrel cavity, hascontinuous electrical continuity with propulsion bus-aft shunt circuitmeans, and has surface at and with continuous electrical continuity withsaid contact means of said wall conductor assembly at the instant barrelcavity location of said shunt's surface and said continuity is slidingelectrical continuity with armature movement in the barrel cavity, andis electrically insulated from direct electrical continuity with saidbarrel power rails; and said wall conductor assembly has additionally,with an armature in said barrel cavity, aft wall conductors comprisedof: the group of one or more consecutive wall conductors of said wallconductor assembly whose contact means at any instant have saidelectrical continuity with said aft current shunt surface at saidcontact means; and said aft current shunt of an armature in said barrelcavity, via said shunt's continuous electrical continuity with saidpropulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means and said shunt's continuouselectrical continuity with said aft wall conductors of said wallconductor assembly, maintains continuous electrical continuity betweensaid propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means and said aft wallconductors, and, with power supplied by an outside power supply to saidpower rails, maintains a current path between said propulsion bus-aftshunt circuit means, and said aft wall conductors; and said barrel busof said wall conductor assembly, with an armature in said barrel cavity,provides continuous electrical continuity between said forward wallconductors and said aft wall conductors of said wall conductor assemblyand with power supplied by an outside power supply to said power rails,provides a current path between said forward wall conductors and saidaft wall conductors; and said propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means iscomprised: an electric current bus in said armature that is located:proximal said current shunts therein, and between and connecting saidaft current shunt and the end of said propulsion bus distal saidpropulsion bus's end with said power rail continuity; and wherein withpower supplied to the power rails by an outside power supply so that:the magnetic fields of current in said forward wall conductors interactwith the current in said propulsion bus creating forces in saidpropulsion bus with cavity axis parallel, muzzle directed components,and the magnetic fields current in said aft wall conductors interactwith the current in said propulsion bus creating forces in saidpropulsion bus with cavity axis parallel, muzzle directed components,and said cavity axis parallel, muzzle directed force components, propelthe armature through the barrel cavity from breech to muzzle. 10.Electromagnetic propulsion devices as claimed in claim 9 wherein saidbarrel cavity has a twist so that consecutive right sections through thebarrel have a constant rate of angular rotation about said cavity axisper unit cavity axis distance; and said armatures for use in said barrelcavity have a twist so that consecutive right sections through saidarmatures have the same constant rate of angular rotation about thearmature axis per unit axis distance; and said twist imparts rotation tosaid armatures during their traverse from said barrel cavity's breech tomuzzle.
 11. Electromagnetic propulsion devices as claimed in claim 9 butwherein said propulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means is comprised: athird barrel rail that: is located in said barrel wall, and hascontinuous barrel cavity surface along its length, and is electricallyisolated from said barrel power rails, and is parallel said barrel powerrails, and is located along the same barrel cavity length as said powerrails; and additional surface on said propulsion bus that: is proximalsaid bus's end that is distal said bus's end with power rail continuity,and, with said armature in said barrel cavity, is at and has continuouselectrical continuity with the barrel cavity surface of said third railand said continuity is sliding electrical continuity with armaturemovement in the barrel cavity; and additional surface on said aftcurrent shunt that, with said armature in said barrel cavity, is at andhas continuous electrical continuity with the barrel cavity surface ofsaid third barrel rail and said continuity is sliding electricalcontinuity with armature movement in the barrel cavity; and saidpropulsion bus-aft shunt circuit means, with said armature in saidbarrel cavity, maintains continuous electrical continuity between saidpropulsion bus and said aft current shunt and maintains a current pathbetween said propulsion bus and said aft current shunt, with powersupplied by an outside power supply to said power rails.
 12. Anelectromagnetic propulsion device as claimed in claim 11 wherein thebarrel has a twist so that consecutive right sections through the barrelhave a constant rate of angular rotation about the cavity axis per unitcavity distance; and armatures for use in said barrel's cavity have atwist so that consecutive right sections through said armatures have thesame constant angular rotation rate about the armature axis per unitaxis distance, and said twist imparts rotation to said armature duringtheir barrel cavity traverse.